Cat's Wolf (A Shifter Romance Novella) (6 page)

“Only the five of us know that and
three of us,” he indicated himself, Tito and looked pointedly across at his
wife, “saying you didn’t go willingly with the
wolf
,” he said wolf like
it left a bad taste in his mouth, “against two saying you did will fall in our
favour and start a war; a war which
we
will win.”

Kaitlin stared at her father in
abject horror. Was he trying to blackmail her into staying by claiming he’d
start a war in some sort of misguided attempt to get her back? Was this just
another way of trying to control her?

Definitely.

She glanced at her mother to see
she looked distressed. Ruth wasn’t strong enough to stand against her husband,
as much as she might want to. Her mother looked up and Kaitlin saw the anguish
in her gaze. She mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”

As bad as she felt for her mother
she knew she couldn't give in to her fathers demands. “So be it. I leave with
him today.” She stood. “Right now. Start a war, it will only make me more
determined to stay with Rhys.”

Her father’s power cloaked the room
in the next second, causing the fine hairs on her arms to stand on end. “People
you know and care about will likely die as a result of your decision, Kaitlin.”

She turned a bewildered face to her
fathers. Rhys tightened his fingers around hers as he stood and urged her back
against his chest. The contact instantly soothed her. “We’ll be going now.”

No-one moved to stop them but she
felt the anger and disapproval as she walked away from her family and her clan.

“What do you think he meant about
people I know and care about getting hurt?” She asked, her voice slightly
shaky.

Rhys watched her for a second. “It
was probably one last ditch attempt to stop you. I doubt he’d do anything to
them.”

Kaitlin snorted. “You don’t know my
dad very well, do you?”

“I’ve heard rumours about him. The
tortures he performs on prisoners; the bribes he takes to overlook certain
things. He’s not as clean cut as he likes to make out.” He tilted his head
slightly as he thought on something. “Do you think the rest of the council know
what he’s been up to? Or do you think they’re as corrupt as your father?”

Kaitlin went thought the other
seven members in her mind. Her mother was nothing like her dad. She weighed
both sides of the argument before deciding on her verdict. She would never take
a bribe.

Anastasia, a Russian swan shifter,
was regal and exceptionally beautiful. She also had the heart to match and had
a good sense of right and wrong and judged fairly.

Nelson, an African hyena shifter,
was very big on making things fair, hearing both sides before he came to a
decision.

Sanjit, an Indian Bengal tiger, was
very wise to the world. As the oldest and longest running member of the council
he’d seen a lot over the past forty years or so he’d been on the council.

Li, a Chinese Asian Golden Cat
shifter, was the youngest of the council at a mere twenty-three taking over
from her father who was killed by a group of rogue shifters two years ago. It
had hardened the once care-free girl into an excellent judge of character who
told the truth about her feelings about people and situations.

Katherine, an English red fox
shifter, was a rather stuffy aristocrat. Kaitlin couldn't see her taking a
bribe considering she had more than her fair share of money and power.

Brandon, the eighth and final
member, was an Australian crocodile shifter with a bad temperament. He glared
and snapped at everyone and though people were never happy to see him it was
her father they were more afraid and wary of. Even Brandon was afraid of him.

Kaitlin bit her bottom lip for a
moment before shaking her head. “I’m not sure. I’m sure some of them suspect
he’s up to something but as head of the council, they’d have to be crazy to go
against him alone.”

Rhys nodded before reaching out and
taking her hand in his, his thumb brushing gently against the sensitive skin of
her inner wrist. Her heart raced unapologetically in her chest as she stepped
closer to his side. Raising their joined hands over her head, he pulled her
against him and pressed his face into her dark blonde hair. “We’ll figure this
out, Cat.”

Kaitlin leant into him with a sigh.

She only hoped he was right.

Chapter 9

They’d been walking for about
twenty minutes and were well out of the cat clan compound when Rhys stilled
suddenly, taking a step away from her, and Kaitlin glanced around nervously.

A form materialised and walked
towards them and she saw Rhys relax. “Shanae.”

The woman came closer and Kaitlin
began to feel inadequate as she saw the woman’s lush figure. Her midnight black
hair was loose around her face and shoulders and the tight clothes accentuated
her small waist and large breasts. Shanae smiled. “I just came to warn you,
there’s a bounty on your head.”

He raised a brow questioningly.

“I overheard Darren talking about
it with his Beta.”

The penny dropped suddenly for
Kaitlin. “My father…”

The woman’s chocolate brown eyes
moved to her and her smile widened. “Have you been pissing off some daddies
lately, Rhys?”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “Kaitlin,
meet Shanae Gibson—she’s a member of my old pack. Someone I consider a friend.
Shanae, meet Kaitlin
Mahone
—my mate.”

A frown formed on the woman’s face
as she tried to place the name and then her eyes widened when it clicked. “The
councilman’s daughter?” She laughed, a deep throaty sound. “It couldn't be just
a normal girl for you, could it?”

A wave of anger rolled off him and
Shanae held her hands up and took a step backwards.

“Shouldn’t you be heading back?” He
asked purposefully.

The other woman bowed her head in
acknowledgement of his words and without another word turned and left them. Kaitlin
watched the women disappear back into the shadows as silently as she’d arrived.

“I can't believe he’s put a hit out
on you,” she breathed. “It’s been what? Ten minutes since we left?”

Rhys shrugged like it didn’t bother
him. “I have more important things to worry about right now, like the pack and
you.”

“Me?” She asked baffled.

“Yes you.” He tucked her under his
arm and pulled her tight against him as they continued to walk away from the
only home she’d ever known. “Paul wants me out of the picture so he can control
you once more. I’m not going to let that happen, Kaitlin. I won't let
anything
happen to you.”

Sighing, she rested her head on his
chest and placed her arm around his back. “So where are we headed?”

“I thought we’d head back to the
Bay so you can meet the pack?”

He posed it as a question and she
appreciated it. He wasn’t going to force her to do anything she didn’t want to
like her father had done. She nodded, “Sure. Is your car around here
somewhere?”

Rhys nodded his head further down
the road and they set off, hand in hand. They reached the black car a few
minutes later and she couldn't help wondering if this was the only vehicle he
had at his disposal. Unlocking the doors, they climbed in.

Kaitlin’s nose wrinkled as she caught the
lingering scent of her needing. It must have seeped into the fabric from when
he transported her to the cabin and back.

“How do you cope having my needing scent in
here?” She asked, genuinely curious. The scent was supposed to drive male
shifters to distraction.

Rhys laughed and shifted in his seat. “Not
very easily,” he admitted, giving her a sideways glance.

She found her gaze drifting southwards to
his lap and a smile curled her lips. He was erect. The knowledge sent a warm
tingle down her spine to her core and a throbbing desire built in her. Biting
her lip, she met his gaze once more. “Why don’t we put off the hotel for a bit
and you can show me just what that scent does to you?”

He didn’t move a muscle, didn’t even blink,
for several long seconds. Then Rhys’ strong arms pulled her onto his lap where
he devoured her mouth in a hot meeting of lips and tongue that had her moaning.

Jamming her fingers into his hair, she
twisted her wrists tugging almost painfully at the strands. His retaliation was
to bite down on her bottom lip and she hissed at the pleasure/pain it elicited.

Their kisses were almost feverish as they
pressed as close as possible to each other. Breaking the connection, Rhys ran
his nose up and down her cheek as he tried to claw back some of his control. “You
smell amazing,” he whispered, his nose running down her throat. As he pulled
back, he growled, “In the back.”

Locking eyes with him, she made sure he was
watching as she slid through the space between the seats flashing the blue
elasticated top of her thong above the line of her jeans. His groan followed
her and she grinned merrily as she settled into the rear seat cushion.

He appeared in front of her not ten seconds
later, his eyes twin fires of amber as his gaze skimmed down her body.
Kaitlin’s breath caught at the intensity of him. He was amazing.

Rhys slowly lowered his lips to hers and she
sighed softly. The urgency of a few minutes ago was gone. This was gentler,
like he wanted to savour her.

Shifting his weight to one hand on the seat
at her side, he used his other palm to cup her cheek as he brought his lips
back to hers. Using his thumb on her chin, he tilted her head back for a better
angle and nipped at her mouth and then lower at her jaw and throat. Kaitlin let
out a low purr as he nuzzled at the spot where her neck met her shoulder and
nipped her skin.

Spinning on the seat, she lifted her legs
onto Rhys’ lap, a smile curving her lips when he ran his hand from her cheek,
down her side, to her knee where he lifted it so he could settle between her
parted thighs. Grabbing her at the hips, he pulled her closer until her head
was cushioned on the seat and her legs were bent on either side of his waist.

When she was just how he wanted her, a sexy
grin broke out on his face and he placed his hands near her head before
pressing his lower body against hers and running his nose along her throat.

“Why aren’t we naked?”

A throaty chuckle left him and the vibration
of his lower body against her own had her gasping. Rhys quickly stopped and
stared down at her with heated eyes. “I
need
you naked,” he murmured
throatily.

Moving back onto his knees he tugged his
t-shirt over his head in one fell swoop and dropped it to the floor of the SUV.

Kaitlin quickly removed her own and started
unsnapping the three buttons on Misha’s jeans. Rhys’ hands stopped her. She
glanced up at him to see the gentle smile on his face before dropping her gaze
to watch as he unsnapped the last button and gently tugged the denim down her
legs and off completely. He leant forward and pressed a kiss between her
breasts and then lower still, just beneath the bottom of her bra, and then one
just above her belly button. He moved lower still and blew a warm breath
against the thin scrap of her blue thong.

A purr rumbled its way up her throat as she
watched him tease the skin of her belly with his tongue and teeth. He glanced
up at her from under his lashes as he dipped his head and, using his index
finger, moved her thong aside to lick her. Kaitlin threw her head back and
groaned.

“You taste almost as good as you smell,” he
rumbled, the vibration sending tingles through her lower body. Her fingers
speared through his hair as he continued to tease her.

Slipping a finger in either side of her
thong he pulled it down her long legs and dropped it to the floor, then pressed
his mouth to the juncture of pelvis and thigh before using his tongue to trail
a path up her body, unhooking the front snap of her bra as he went, and then
taking her nipples into his mouth to suck at the sensitive peaks.

Kaitlin arched under his ministrations and
clawed at his shoulders, deep enough to draw blood. Rhys hissed in a breath and
moved up her body to nip at her throat and jaw. Tugging on his hair, she urged
his head up so she could kiss him hungrily.

He pulled back and deftly removed his jeans.
She gasped when she saw he wore no underwear, her lips parting at the sight of
him naked before her. Trying not to stare too much at certain parts of him she
raked her gaze from head to toe. Other than the night of her needing she hadn't
seen him naked and even then she hadn't taken much notice. Her mouth dried and
moisture pooled low in her belly. He was gorgeous.

Rhys’ nostrils flared, obviously catching
the scent of her heightened arousal and her heart sped up. They were going to
have sex again.

Kaitlin flipped onto her hands and knees,
removing her bra in the process, before spreading them slightly so he could see
her glistening folds and waited.

A soft kiss was placed on her right buttock.
“What are you doing, Cat?”

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I
thought this was your favourite position?”

“No.” He let out a low chuckle, “Don’t get
me wrong. I like this one but right now, I want us to be face to face when I
make love to you.”

Her heart flipped in her chest as she processed
what he’s just said. He wanted to make love to her?

Gentle hands flipped her onto her back and
she stared up into Rhys amber eyes. They were infinitely tender as he brushed a
lock of hair off her forehead. His gaze then dropped to her mouth and she
licked her lips.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as he
lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly, tenderly.

Settling between her parted thighs once more,
he used one hand to position himself and then pressed gently into her. Her
breath caught at the feeling and she found herself staring into his glowing
amber eyes as he rolled his hips slowly into her.